Want a cheap 5G phone? The new Samsung A32 5G could answer that call

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By David Lumb
last updated

Samsung’s cheap 5G phone packs decent specs

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
(Image credit: Samsung)

On the last day of CES 2021, the brand quietly announced another of its anticipated phones, the budget Samsung Galaxy A32 5G – which, as its name implies, is set to be a cheap 5G phone.

While far from the specs of the flagship Samsung Galaxy S21, the Samsung Galaxy A32 looks to be a capable smartphone with a quad rear camera, according to Samsung’s announcement – which was little more than a blog post with a spec sheet. 

The Samsung A32 specs include an unnamed octa-core processor (which Android Central suspects could be a newly-announced Mediatek Dimensity 700-series chip), from 4GB to 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage (expandable to 1TB via MicroSD), and a big 5,000mAh battery. The 6.5-inch display is only HD Plus (720p), but the phone packs a quad rear camera fronted by a 48MP main shooter, with 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, and 2MP depth cameras.

Paired with 5G connectivity, the new phone looks like it will be powerful yet affordable – though we can’t say for sure, since the Samsung Galaxy A32 price and release date weren’t announced in the official post. We do know that it’ll come in four colors: black, white, blue, and violet.

Samsung Galaxy A32: budget 5G...with competition

While it didn’t get the firehose of leaks as the Samsung Galaxy S21 phones, the Galaxy A32 had its share of early rumors and renders released. Samsung clearly geared up the A32 as an affordable 5G phone – but so did plenty of other device makers.

At CES 2021, we saw the year’s first phones revealed, mainly from TCL and Motorola. Both brands revealed lineups of budget phones, including an affordable 5G phone each (the TCL 20 5G and Motorola One 5G Ace, respectively). The Galaxy A32 5G may technically be the first Samsung phone to come out in 2021, but it got beaten to the punch in its niche. 

Whether that ends up mattering likely comes down to each brand’s dominance in the region, as they look to be very similar phones, at least on paper. But we’re eager to test them out and crown the best cheap 5G phone of 2021...at least until more contenders arrive.

David Lumb
David Lumb

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He's most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.